Schedule:

February 28, 2024

7:00 p.m - 9:30 p.m
Opening Night - Student Filmmaker's Program

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The Other Side
Director: Jake Harness
When 1500s Italian Renaissance Aliens arrive in the quiet 1960s town of Summerset, helpless scientist Jim Olen decides to house them from his boss, General McCourt, to save them from destruction. Through all of the chaos, the aliens find their place on Earth amongst the town of Summerset and its people.

Snapshot
Director: Aidan Wyatt Woods
When a naive photography student accidentally captures the murder of an incumbent judge on film, he must outrun the men responsible in order to put them behind bars - and survive.

My Brother's Keeper
Director: Isaiah Williams
Set in 1850's Philadelphia, "My Brother's Keeper" follows a wealthy Black physician who must put his freedom at risk to shelter a runaway slave from a ruthless bounty hunter.

Kyler Smith: "Unfiltered"
Director: Josh Mekhi Burton
Following a new up and coming restaurant in Cleveland Ohio, entertainment prodigy, Kyler Smith, paves a new way of success by putting everything on the line to open the first of its kind, black-owned visual entertainment dining experience, through the help of social media and connection.

Phone Call from Heaven
Director: Maris Wirt
When a young woman's father passes away, a daughter stuck in the past, is forced to face death in order to find peace.

7:15 p.m - 9:45 p.m.
Opening Night - Documentary and Fan Fiction Program

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It's Not The Critic Who Counts
Director: Ridgley Curry, Nick Brumfield
Bill Bradley, a nine-year veteran of the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon, makes his tenth attempt to achieve what has previously eluded him: An official finish. In his way lie sub-zero temperatures, blizzards, the threat of frostbite, and ominously, his inner doubts.

From Sweden, With Love
Director: Muhammad Umar Saeed
Hanna, a girl from Sweden starts a school for Pakhiwas (Nomads) in Lahore, Pakistan. This school in a tent is changing the lives of most unprivileged of the society.

Buses and Bay Leaves
The relationship between Britain and its immigrant population is unceasingly hostile. Through an intimate monologue and domestic lens Buses and Bay Leaves explores the realities of coming to this country for my grandmother and her family; portraying the false life you must construct to weather the British people.

More Than You Can Know, A Marriage Story
Director: Naomi Guttman
While cleaning out the attic of her family home, Canadian-American writer Naomi Guttman discovers bundles of love letters written during her parents’ transatlantic courtship. With home-movie footage, letters, photographs, and surprisingly candid interviews about love, fidelity, and gender roles, Guttman weaves a poignant tale of a sixty-four-year marriage between two doctors whose love is tested by time and circumstance. Inspired by the films of Alan Berliner, Judith Helfand, and Sarah Polley, Guttman’s first film reveals a rare and intimate glimpse into the arc of a complex relationship.

Taking Flight
Director: Will Chehab
In an area where traditional education fails students, one Mayan woman starts her own school in order to rebuild her community from the ground up. Through integral education, which includes meals for students and workshops for their parents, Ingrid Villasenor strengthens her home of Panajachel one step at a time.

Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Aztecs
Director: Kevin M Croxton
Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Aztecs is an Indiana Jones fan film created by the Oliver Springs Music Club (Formally the Parkview Music Club). Set in 1958, Indiana Jones takes up an unfinished quest from his late father-in-law, Abner Ravenwood, which turns into a race against time to find a powerful Aztec treasure before the Soviets do. The film is a tribute to the Indiana Jones franchise, and has a cameo from Actress Karen Allen, reprising her role as Marion from the Indiana Jones films.

7:30 p.m - 9:45 p.m.
Opening Night - Comedy & Drama Program

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Last Days of the Lab
Director: María Alvarez
A mother and daughter sift through old memories as they prepare to permanently close down their family's photo lab.

Team-Building
Director: Anna Southgate
A squabbling diversity committee at a Life Insurance company reluctantly takes part in a team-building exercise. But when the Operator of their escape room chokes on a peanut they have just minutes to get out and save him. To do that they must work as a team.

The Visit
Director: Sean Patrick Folster
A man. A woman. An afternoon that could make all the difference.

He's Dead, Thanks
Director: Anna-Marie Ramm, Margherita Arco
With vastly different ideas of what their Dad would want, Iris and Jo peruse a charity shop to buy the perfect outfit: Dad can’t help - he’s dead!

Paradiso
Director: Jonna Volz
Paradiso is a glimpse of a day in the life of an homeless couple looking for shelter for the evening. As they find paradise in a vacant apartment they start dreaming big with possibility, until they are caught.

Snail Mail
Director: Jay Stern
Clara is tired of getting mail, but her mail carrier is very dedicated to the job. Let the battle begin!

The Living Room
Director: Joseph Salvatore DiBartolo
On the eve of her wedding night, Sasha contemplates her future with drugs, booze, and a love triangle with the effortless charmer, Cam, and drug dealer, Ozzy - raging her problems away until things begin to spiral out of control.

Da's
Director: Chris Aitken
Male pride is put to the test after two adults collide and call upon an unusual method to solve their dispute. Please contact if you require a version with subtitles.

The Hills of Cornwall
Director: Jack Reid
Follow Jack Reid as he explores the Cornish landscape whilst trying to overcome his loss of love. Pushing his pro-hill agenda, will he manage to overcome his obsession?

-3625
Director: Hosein Babaeian
ISIS (Daesh) is attacking. A 7-year-old girl named "Asma" hugs the ground. Asma's father has about 5 seconds. He must decide .... The war and the invasion of ISIL and its consequences, which are the most harmful for the innocent children of the Orient. The number of children victims of this global massacre is 10 people a day, 3625 thousand in the year and a total of about 29 thousand children during the eight years of the war.

7:45 p.m - 10:00 p.m.
Opening Night - International Films Program

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Death Anniversary
Director: Armin Keshvari
Tonight will remain memorable in their minds forever.

Hole
Director: Amirali Masomi Far
X walks along the forest path with Y, who is supposed to be buried by Y.

Spasm
Director: Sahra Asadollahi
A girl who dreams of acting since childhood enters the film office for an audition.

Coda
Director: Joshua Elias Palmer
The story of a mother who now needs the full-time care of her son who struggles to keep giving it.

Acts In Parts
Director: Sergio Milan
Marta´s cancer makes a strong comeback. Tired of her luck, she decides to give up. That´s when three stories, filled with the most unexpected humor, will come to help her rewrite her destiny.

La Farsa
Director: Guillem Miro
Three friends enjoy a night out on the boat, but the fun disappears when they spot a dead immigrant in the sea. The party ends and they decide to return home, but everything changes when they realize that he is still alive. The friends are forced to make a decision: abandon the young man to his fate or take responsibility for helping him?

Queens Without a Kingdom
Director: Mikel R. Alonso
The life of the young couple formed by Mia and Claudia is about to change, but when everything seems to be going as planned, a single moment will change everything.

February 29, 2024

7:00 p.m - 9:45 p.m.
Student Filmmakers' Night - Program #1

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Sugar and Matchsticks
Director: Leah Bunner
Sugar and Matchsticks is an experimental film about a young poet who begins to lose sense of reality. Her friend gaslights her, making her believe she is delusional, but as the two merge their realities, the poet realizes she would rather succumb to his control than explore her subconscious mind. Themes of poetry, philosophy, and human connection are explored.

The Rat's Nest
Director: Andrew Delly
Three brother's in crime sort out their differences.

Golden Hour
Director: Arman Hodasefat
In the wake of a recent breakup, a young woman tries to find comfort in a sunset-watching group. Yet, an unsettling encounter triggers a series of inexplicable occurrences that blur the lines between reality and fantasy.

Reunion
Director: Cameron Howell, Sarah Higgins
A young man begins to panic as he grapples with a decision that will change his life.

Perfect Scream
Director: Athan Marshall
On the set of a stylish horror film, a demanding movie director goes to extreme lengths to get the perfect scream from his lead actress.

Night of the Witch
Director: Greer Miller, Jimmy Brick, Shane Kleckner, Ragan Millin
A teen suspected of witchcraft and burned at the stake over a century ago, returns to claim the souls of her descendants and achieve immortality.

Murray Wallace and The Greatest Pitch
Director: L Howell
Murray Wallace pitches his new, groundbreaking product to a group of investors, but things don't go so well.

Bad Punch
Director: Andrew Delly
A mixer for actors is lively until one of them mysteriously drops dead. Those who remain must use their memories, wit, and various menial acting accolades to determine who’s the killer… or simply the best actor. Who served the Bad Punch?

extrApolachian
Director: Jonathan Riles
An Appalachian digital content creator ventures out on a brief TikTok journey by inserting improvisational humor into their wildlife encounters.

Steel City Bloom
Director: Andrew Delly, Wyatt Woods
A gruff man wanders an industrial landscape.

Housewarming Party
Director: Alexandra Samame
When an uninvited guest moves into their apartment, two ghost roommates must put aside their differences and drive him out in order to continue living in peace.

Monochrome Haze
Director: Emily Wilson
A girl, Cassie, discovers she can transport to another realm when she sleeps…and everything is in black-and-white.

Monochrome Haze: Two Dreamers
Director: Emily Wilson
Cassie keeps being transported to the black-and-white library, but each time she enters, it begins to feel increasingly more real. She confides in her roommate, Amy, and the two quickly realize the dangers behind the monochrome haze.

Static Wind
Director: Duncan Godwin
When a man finds himself in a waiting room to the afterlife, he must revisit distorted places and times in his life to find acceptance. Led by two mysterious figures, his destination is everything but certain.

7:15 p.m - 10:00 p.m.
Student Filmmakers' Night - Program #2

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Ovaryacting
Director: Jordan Held
A young man must face his fears to make a personal purchase.

The Steak
Director: Kiarash Dadgar Mohebi
A birthday ceremony preparation gets upside down as something horrible takes place.

City of Lost Souls
Director: Nikos Mpouyioukas
A woman and a teenage girl, alone in Berlin in different circumstances and for different reasons, encounter each other and find more in common than they first thought.

Two Bad Twitches
Director: Dominque Boyd
Two Bad Twitches is a story about friendship and tapping into your power. Six months after Adele catches her boyfriend cheating, her best friend Brittany convinces her to seek revenge by casting a spell on him. The two enlist help from a money hungry witch that appears untrustworthy. Labelle, the gimmicky witch, gives the two instructions on how to cast the spell. Adele and Brittany embark on a journey to make the potion that will hopefully avenge Adele’s broken heart.

Sometimes you're such a darn egg
Director: Sophie Anna Fadwa Säther Mahfouf
An exploration of the five leftover eggs battling for their existence within Magdalena (40) as she navigates around the voices of society, and her own body.

All Eyes
Director: Claudia Sheng
A girl group of four in an isolated training camp discover their true purpose while dealing with interpersonal problems.

All Together Now
Director: Joshua A Gance
Alex is stuck at home by himself for the holidays, until a relic from his childhood rekindles his Christmas spirit.

Skit/ish
Director: Dan McRaven
Skit/ish is a compilation of unique skits.

Crimina Humana
Director: John Bando
A crime anthology following a recluse who faces an intruder in his home, a lawyer who finds a solution to his legal troubles, and a nephew who uncovers his uncle's crimes. Each story featuring an unlikely twist.

7:30 p.m - 10:15 p.m.
Student Filmmakers' Night - Program #3

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Powerball
Director: Natalie Gilles, Nick Thaman
A young man's life is changed after he discovers he has won the lottery at a family dinner. Ryan keeps this information to himself as he converses with his family. However, in an effort to make his family take him seriously, he reveals this information, where the family's true colors come out. In the end, the ticket is destroyed, and the family is left in shock that a large sum of money has been ripped from them.

This Memory Has Static
Director: Jordan Walker
Right before they leave for college, Mark and Jess find an old home video on a VHS tape. The contents of the tape reveal a traumatic truth that has been kept from Jess her whole life. In an attempt to comfort jess, mark suggests she wipe the tape. Jess is hesitant at first. She knows she cannot erase this truth, but she can move on.

Heart & Sol
Director: Cassidy DeVol, Laura McCann
Sol, an isolated operating system trapped in her own fantasy, is desperate to experience true human emotion.

Substratum
Director: Harvey Otto Abrahams
A young heir to a dictatorship navigates an isolated world of power and control. A solitary gesture of peace leads to tragic revelations in this stark allegory of inherited violence and the urgent need for empathy.

Trail Bound
Director: Jasper Ian Jones
Two near graduates seek to reconnect by adventuring on an old childhood hiking trail. The goal: Share their last beers together. Though tears may be exchanged over cold ones.

Pygmalion
Director: Giana Vigliotti
Sofie is a drawing student struggling to come to terms with her sexuality when she meets Norah, a nude art model in her figure drawing class and becomes infatuated with her.

Dollhouse
Director: Valentina Sanchez Rodriguez
Bekah, a 27-year-old foreign woman who recently survived a terrible accident, wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of her past. After a moment of panic, James, a man who claims to be her fiancé, wants to take her back into his life. With no documentation or idea of where to go, Bekah goes home with James, who little by little starts to show a rather unsettling side to him. At the same time, Bekah struggles to find herself and cope with her flashing past.

The Blacker The Berry
Director: Glenn A. Robinson
Conflict rises on a university campus when a boulder is vandalized with racist remarks. Two student leaders with the same goals find it hard to catch who is responsible when their insecurities prevent their progress.

The Painter
Director: Elizabeth Kollmar, Josh Cable
When an aspiring painter grapples with self-doubt in his artistic journey, his father must learn to love and accept him for who he is.

Green Humanity
Director: Garrett X Miller
A young man becomes lost in the woods with only the aid of a cunning hiker to help him escape.

Teatime
Director: Jordan Spayd
George attends an unconventional retreat in an attempt to finally express his grief.

The Little Door
Director: Quinton Likosar
When Daniel and his two friends go searching for his grandpa's secret treasure, they find themselves stuck in a tight situation.

7:45 p.m - 10:15 p.m.
Student Filmmakers' Night - Program #4

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Date of Death
Director: Ryan Lucht
A nervous interviewee arrives at KYS Industries to schedule how and when she will die.

Paradise Bay
Director: Adam Michalski
Andy, an unfulfilled office worker, receives a strange message on his computer, promising him a trip to an exclusive resort Paradise Bay. The catch: he must try their experimental drug, but Andy soon discovers the promise of paradise may not be what it seems.

Stick to the Script
Director: Saar Zutshi
A young professional attempts to stand out in the repetitive nature of the corporate workforce.

The Baby Doll Dance
Director: Katarina Partika
An experimental thriller about a young woman from a devout family who struggles to escape the haunting curse of an old, Italian tradition.

Lice
Director: Olivia Dance
Thomas lives in a dark underground society where each young male is required to catch a louse on their female counterpart’s hair. But Thomas’s lack of catching skills and only two tries left, put him and his lady at risk of being sentenced to life in a mysterious place called "There".

Hametown
Director: Riley Kuse
A day in the life of Jack and Richard, two friends reconnecting in their hometown diner after years apart.

Blue Hour
Director: J.D. Shields
Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.

Slow Dance
Director: Micah Streeter
A break-up told in reverse.

Wild Horses
Director: Max Schroder
A man reflects on a past relationship.

20 Minutes Of Silence
Director: Alireza Teimori
A reformist organization will start working in Stockholm in 2030. In this organization, anyone can book one of its rooms and invite people to that room to talk to them about their unspoken and repressed feelings. But those invited do not have the right to speak or respond. They just listen. "Matilda", an 18-year-old girl, calls her parents, "Gustavo", and "Maria", to speak in one of the organization's reserved rooms. This is the first time Matilda has spoken of her buried feelings. But things are not going according to plan.

Old Friend Cleveland
Director: Isabela Carroll
Mal is a graduating college student desperate to get out of Cleveland, but she can't seem to catch a job (or break).

March 1, 2024

7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Local Filmmaker’s Night

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Culantro Fino
Director: Fernando Lopez
The fallout of deportation leaves a mother and her biracial daughter searching for connection through the power of food.

Lucid
Director: Nick Rubino
While living off the grid in rural Ohio, a son’s father goes missing. His estranged uncle travels to join him in hopes of finding answers.

The Repairman
Director: Gwen Bueche
A phone repairman fixes a friend's phone while also helping her mend her relationship with her boyfriend.

Making It
Director: Mikhail Tot
A bright eye actor moves to a big city to become a star.

Layoff
Director: Johnny K. Wu
Two MDI employees worry that they will be fired during the holiday.

Long Dark Road
Director: Aaron Connor
Becoming lost on a rural back road, a recovering addict seeks escape down an overgrown path. Reality soon distorts, and he must come to terms with himself to find his way back to the world.

The Back of Your Eyelids
Director: Payton Burkhammer
After a recent breakup, social media obsessed Maria faces her deepest fear - spending the night alone. What will she do to pass the time? Not even she knows. Through facing her ex-boyfriend, celebrating her birthday, and a chance encounter with a delivery driver, she learns a lesson in what it means to choose yourself.

Corporate Shorthand
Director: Alex Nixon
A corporate slide show presentation gone awry by acronym overkill.

Cinema 360
Director: Scott E Brosius
An up-and-coming DJ agrees to make a documentary about her career, but it quickly begins to uncover her family secrets.

Lunchbox
Director: Anne Hu
When a Taiwanese American woman prepares lunches from her childhood, she struggles to forgive herself for pushing away her immigrant mother.

7:15 – 9:45 p.m.
Friday Comedy & Drama

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Skewered
Director: Nick Ray Rutter
Opposing sexual appetites and dietary ethics bring a stagnant relationship to a theatrical and surprising crescendo as a heartfelt revelation confronts the elephant in the room.

Rest
Director: Micah Stathis
Iris, a recently sober alcoholic, is due in court tomorrow: rested and prepared. Unable to fall asleep, she battles the voices in her head and her own desire for a drink as the night stretches on, seemingly without end.

El Conquistador
Director: Mathilde Bayle
Fanny has become infatuated with the handsome, womanizing Diego, for whom her heart aches. One evening, at a party, she tries to make him jealous by letting a random man hit on her… It works. But this "random man", Victorino, a Peruvian photographer, has no intention of giving up that easily.

Fly Free
Director: Ann Hawker
Eighty year old Mary blows her life savings on a sports car but can she convince her controlling daughter, Fiona, to fly free...? Fiona, has sold Mary's old car. Now Mary's trapped watching the birds fly free outside her window. She can only dream of escape, but when she sees the beautiful red sports car gleaming in the sunlight she acts. It's all her savings, but who cares? The open road and new adventures are calling her. Until Fiona arrives home. Fiona is lost on the treadmill of work and family. She thinks the car is a deathtrap and it's going back. Mary knows they are both imprisoned and it's up to her to lead them to freedom.

The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson
Director: Dayan D. Oualid
Yoel, 30, is what was called in the 90s a “Lubavitch”, an Orthodox Jew. Every Saturday morning, he goes, accompanied by his 6-year-old son, to honor Shabbat in the synagogue in his neighborhood, a primary school set up for the occasion. That day, the rabbi of the community of devotees, Rav Kalmenson, an impressive man with his charisma and his long beard, will challenge Yoel by announcing to him that his son “is lighting up”.

It's Not All That Bad
Director: Nicolas Novak
A snack bar, an online date, Teddy and Alicia, both in their twenties. One of them has a secret…

Just Desserts
Director: Jake Schwartz
All Dave wants is to throw his daughter a fun birthday party & eat some cake. But after getting caught sneaking a slice by his wife, he's castigated for breaking with his new (read: her suggested) diet. He's awoken in the middle of the night with a plan: now's his chance to snack. In the kitchen, where sugary delight should have been moments away, he's confronted by a even more powerful force than his wife's stern glances... an A.I. refrigerator. What follows is a battle of wits between a hungry man and a literally cold-hearted machine. Not making any headway, Dave enlists the help of his sleeping child. This only proves to make things worse. It's only green juices for Dave now.

Wuss
Director: Nadine Wilson
Abandoned by his father, young Zach struggles with feelings of loss, and self-blame. Despite his mother's encouragement to express his emotions, Zach shies away, convinced that crying reflects weakness. At least that’s what Daddy says. However, when his cherished cat goes missing he embarks on a relentless journey to find is beloved pet.

7:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Friday Horror

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Óbito
Director: Fernando Amador
Eugenia & Mauricio, a young couple who, due to an economic downturn, see their relationship in jeopardy. Everything changes when Mrs. Lian, owner of the Chinese restaurant where Eugenia works, He offers her €50,000 in exchange for marrying Huang, his late son. Despite the unusual situation, he ends up accepting the macabre proposal, with unexpected consequences.

MANICURE
Director: Carluccio
Before her 30th birthday party, Elanor's anxiety and demand for perfection turn a pleasant manicure into a bloody mess.

Malus
Director: Josh Martin
Anxious about a date, a man takes a horrific, psychedelic trip through a series of bizarre rooms after taking an intriguing new drug.

Sætnere
Director: Jeremy Parsons
Set in 1888, a traveling vampire seeks lodging with an unsuspecting rural family. The family has other intentions.

Bisected
Director: Danny Pineros
A couple witnesses a paranormal event that separates them into two distinct dimensions.

The Gatekeeper
Director: Sam Sorenson
New owners of a small-town building discover an ancient secret in the walls of its basement.

Ariane's Baby
Director: Mahée Merica
Ariane is a single and lonely woman who craves love after a history of abusive relationships. The birth of her child represents a chance to start everything anew and form her own happy family, but she worries about not being up to the task. As the birth draws near, Ariane gets haunted by monsters manifesting her anxieties about motherhood and starts to feel uneasy about what is growing in her stomach. Through her fight with the monsters and her discussions with her friends, Ariane increasingly questions herself: Will she be able to take care of her child properly and love him unconditionally?

Dark Side of the Moon
Director: Lincoln Reed
A lawman and a prisoner play a deadly game beneath a full moon.

Wait For It
Director: David J. Stieve
Wait For It is a loving deconstruction of the slasher genre, seen from the perspective of a Survivor Girl living in the aftermath of her own encounter with a psycho-slasher killer. We follow her as she travels home after a night out with friends, always remaining wary of the inevitable return of her tormentor.

7:45 – 10:30 p.m.
Short. Sweet. + (LGBTQ + Discussion)

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Beyond The Sea
Director: Hippolyte Leibovici
Lady Casca, a drag queen in her sixties, is about to go on stage at her cabaret for the last time. The next day, retirement by the sea awaits her. But her son Thomas, whom she has not seen for a long time, interrupts the festivities. He has sad news to tell her.

Persons Set Apart
Director: Gabe Schmidt
The true story of a gay pastor who endured years of discrimination to serve his community.

One Love
Director: Nahlia Loren Couto
One Love is a collaborative and sustainable fashion short celebrating fluidity and universal love for each other and our planet, with underlying environmental and social messaging surrounding topics of water protection and gender equality. This film narrates our talent Lauren Bailey's gender journey and depicts the honest emotions, thoughts, and experiences of navigating a gendered society and fashion industry as a non-binary person. Viewers are given a glimpse into Lauren’s internal dialogue represented through a visual dissociation of self as they find themselves drowning in society’s pressures to conform.

Rocky Road On Channel Three
Director: James Rogers III
A man has a life-changing encounter with an otherworldly ice cream truck.

Rabbit Hole
Director: Aaron Schoonover
Entering cautiously into adulthood, a shy eighteen-year-old attempts to balance “coming out” of his shell with an erratic home life and an unhinged QAnon mother. A timely and poignant short film with a unique twist on the queer coming-of-age story.

It's Not That Simple
Director: Levi Quartley
It’s Not That Simple explores the unspoken dating struggles of the trans community, through the minds of transgender young adults. The film follows Levi, a trans guy, on his thought-provoking journey to discover where his difficulties of finding love have stemmed from. By interviewing other trans people, he learns how intimacy can still be achieved in a romantic relationship and sheds light on the common sexual imagery that surrounds the transgender community.

Stay
Director: King Louie Palomo
Starring Canada's Drag Race legend Kendall Gender, Stay is a tender exploration of relationships. On their last night in town, Kaleb– known more commonly by the stage name Ivy Diamonds (Kendall Gender)– meets Ryan (Riley Davis), an artist from Vancouver. The few hours they spend together before Kaleb heads back to his tumultuous relationship bring him an unexpected sense of clarity.

Hold My Hair
Director: Rachel Taggart
An innocent evening of childhood fun and alcohol-assisted mischief takes a sudden turn when a queer teen risks everything by coming out to her best friend – who is also her first love.

March 2, 2024

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Comedy and Drama Program #1

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Food That Saves You
Director: Joe Vella
A man overcomes depression and his wife's death with a passion they used to share.

Cart Return
Director: Matt Webb
Melanie is just too busy and self-absorbed and refuses to return her shopping cart, leading to an unfortunate turn of events.

Dustlight
Director: Chryssanthi Kouri
While facing pivotal life changes Matina arrives at the family summer house to clear out her late mother's things. There she begins to unravel, as past and present collide until she reaches a personal epiphany.

HELP IS... ON THE WAY?
Director: Jason A. White
A cynical patient finds himself at a crossroads with his therapist. The advice she gives may save him, but could have far reaching consequences.

Maria
Director: Panagiota Florou, Kathrin Sylwestrzak
Maria, a young actress, tries to get to a casting that her agent thinks she is not ready for. Maria is determined to convince her. If she succeeds, she will finally recite a monologue that holds all her grim secrets.

This is Not Norway
Director: Alicia Albares, Paco Cavero
Eugenia's husband, before his death, made it clear that he wanted to be honored with a Viking funeral. What the good man did not imagine is that his sons, Jorge and Nico, were going to perpetrate something that has little of funeral and much less of Viking.

Pitage
Director: Ali Khaledi
A prison guard who agreed to execute a death sentence because of leave, but...

Big George
Director: Jamie Effros
When a middle-aged actor gains too much pandemic weight to pull off his survival gig as a George Clooney impersonator, he finds himself trying to justify to his nine-year-old daughter— and to himself— why he’s still chasing his dream.

Slobopoly
Director: Yinghui Li
When a grumpy hermit is bribed to run for mayor of a rural town, she comes out of her shell to protect her trailer park from impending destruction.

2004
Director: Kevin Mezick
Many have wondered what the most important year to ever exist is. The answer is 2004, or at least that's what Joey thinks.

Dear Daughter
Director: Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff
The evolution of a mother's love through the years.

11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Animation & Music Videos

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Coin Coin
Director: Anouk Archambault, Amélie Frit, Lucile Grunder, Solenn Lelaisant, Jeanne Marotte
A duck and a rabbit are best friends forever. They’re eating cookies and playing together after school until the bunny, distracted, discovers a very cool cat, sitting alone playing with a gameboy. Full of curiosity and excitement, it's the beginning of a new friendship between them. The duck tries to join them but finds herself rejected. Sad and lonely, she’s going to find new friends to keep playing at all costs...

Commute
Director: Mark Mendoza, Adrean Tolosa
Experience Metro Manila's daily commuter frenzy, navigate the crowded metro system and find solace and camaraderie from the monotonous hustle of the urban rat race.

Blanka's Story
Director: Marta Gensler
The serene life of a Jewish family is disrupted by the start of World War II and the Nazi occupation of Poland. Violence rips the family apart, but hope and tradition perseveres with the two surviving daughters.

Scenes of the Absurd
Director: Sophie Dique, Talia Sellers
Scenes of the Absurd is a stop motion psychological horror handcrafted by a dedicated team of over thirty students. When a young girl’s toy is taken from her, she ventured into a strange new world to get it back, eventually discovering that the best performances don’t always have a happy ending.

Wingblights
Director: B.J. Halsall
A group of young bugs gather around a campfire to tell scary stories, but are interrupted when a mysterious spider arrives to tell his own.

Far Out
Director: Rowan Walton
A deadbeat pizza delivery driver, Cooper, arrives at a remote house where no one seems to be home. He is directed to follow a large dog through the eclectic and unusual property until he reaches the front door where the nature of the scene brings color back into his face.

love bubbles
Director: Marcel Hobi
Floating on a pink cloud as a couple is easy. It is much more difficult to cope with everyday life and the future together - an amusing relationship drama.

Dance with the Seashells!
Director: Théo Carme, Julie Fournier, Alessandra Rosmarino, Anaëlle Saba
One morning, in a small coastal town, young singer Erika is getting ready for her biggest concert. Suddenly, her concert-hall is struck by lightning and vanishes before her very eyes. Devastated, she meets Mehdi, the shrimp mascot employed to promote the concert. The two team up to find the missing building.

El Ombligo de la Luna
Director: Sara ANTÓNIO, Julia GRUPI?SKA, Bokang Koatja, Tian Westraad, Ezequiel Garibay
Chava, a Mexican mechanic, must take his son to the moon in order to fulfill his late mother's last wish.

Kakomando
Director: Alexandra Bloch, Clémence Collignon, Louis Augustine Lubega, Bertil Toby Svanekiaer, Delaly Guy Corneille Tchocodo
Kakomando is the leader of a group of mischievous kids free running on the streets of New Town. To complete their hideout on top of the old mining hill, the young commander must take a high risk to get the one thing missing to complete their dream.

Délice
Director: Adrien Avit, Gabriel Cassé, Cannelle Cazes, Garance Guilbert, Julia Pengue, Eva Rogelin
In a kingdom perched above the clouds, a wealthy family resides. Far from being concerned about the turmoil that seems to be unfolding outside, they delight in a buffet far too sumptuous for their small family of three.

Try Hard
Director: Audrey Chevrolle, Yuha Cho, Hugo Lemonnier, Brian Lim, Yuxi Zhou
Alex, an art student, dreams of joining Eve, the Elite’s visual school. Together with her best friend Kimmy, they train hard to pass the notoriously impossible entrance exam. Alex’s training turns into an obsession, compromising her friendship with Kimmy.

Beanboy
Director: Emily Hanning
Summer is a time of endless potential, but when a rabbit’s fears start getting in the way of having fun with his friends, Beanboy pops in and does his thing.

BLYTH
Director: Tom Dream
An exploration of the witch burning and the dancing plagues of the 16th Century which swept across Europe like wildfire.

Wish Queen - "Magic"
Director: Nick Cavalier
A magician with a dark history deals in illusion as his assistant steal the show.

Nothin 4 Something
Director: Cody Critcheloe
Over his day job and humdrum life, a mechanic fantasizes about being a rock star. Following “Danger”, which was released earlier this year, Roberts takes us back into the realm of moody mid-tempo 80’s throwback energy with his new single “Nothin 4 Something”

Casket - "WWBWB444U?"
Director: Geno F Oradini
Who Will Be Wearing Black For You is an Ohio post-dark wave music experience that takes the viewer on a journey of someone who transcends his death and views his final moments while navigating purgatory.

ego - "Ava Della Pietra"
Director: Adam Lukowski
The official music video of Ava Della Pietra's original song, "ego"

Two Kinds of Sadness
Director: Ronan Furuta
What happens to you when you learn your partner will need a heart and lung transplant to survive? Two Kinds of Sadness explores the impact this diagnosis had on one person and his girl friend.

Dreaming of You(th)
Director: Mike Woodall
Dreaming of You(th) puts a new twist on celebrating age through music and dance. While working on an art project and reminiscing about the past, an older Woman gets lost in thought, and finds herself entranced by a familiar stranger.

Resurrectionists - Let Me Talk You Through This One
Director: Eric Arsnow
A mediation on time and salvation, struggling to co-exist with pre-history and the present. This video was part of a larger 10 part video series for the album "Now That We Are All Ghosts".

11:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Student Filmmaker's Program

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Showrunner
Director: Maria Gian
A story about friendship between young women who are growing up and apart. Samira, has always depended on her best friend, Eva, for support. As Eva transitions into her first romantic relationship, Samira is left feeling alone and desperate for the attention she once had.

Dreamer
Director: Benjamin B. Erwin
Roy Henderson An ambitious High School senior on a daily run finds out he got accepted into Harvard. He then begins to day dream about what his future will be like.

FACES
Director: Ryan Hill
An acne-riddled artist struggling to create a satisfactory self-portrait resorts to bold new methods of capturing her likeness.

Flower Brain
Director: Alexandra Katherine Burke
When a girl learns there are flowers growing in her brain and she only has a few days left to live, she must overcome her own nihilism- with the help of her partner- to enjoy her last days, knowing she'll regret it if she doesn't.

11 Carats
Director: Carlos Ndjihoro
As, a small-time crook from Bangui meets an old villager who came to the capital to sell an 11-carat diamond. As wants to swindle him and pay his debts, but the old man, more cunning than he seems, plays the ignorant with a specific plan in mind.

Broken Hearts
Director: Julie Magnaudet
Chloe, a regular at the Broken Hearts hospital and a desperate romantic, is back again after yet another romantic mishap. This time, Dr. Love agrees to prescribe her a rebound - the love-cynical Charlie, who's here on his first visit. They must undergo the treatment together, regardless of their clashing beliefs.

Fishing for Grace
Director: Ida Roj Baybekman
Doris, a law school graduate and convicted felon, learns that she is getting evicted from her apartment while navigating unemployment and her maternal responsibilities.

Lambkin
Director: Rosie Sirk
Young barmaid Freda has lived and worked in her family’s peaceful tavern her whole life. However, when she is left alone and unprotected in darkness, English mercenaries tear through her home.

Striped
Director: Spandana Patanaik
S, a novelist suffering from writer’s block, arrives at an isolated nature resort to work on her next book. Here, she is forced to deal with her unresolved grief and mental health whilst also interacting with the resort's guests.

11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
International Films Program #1

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Unthinkable Conversations
Director: Emma Richardson
Almost a year into a lawless war Amy and Jack have given up hope of anyone coming to help them. Hiding in their once beautiful home with their three young children, they are now starving . The violence rages around them and in the brutal world outside there is no value in anything except the lives of children. Bought and sold as cattle Amy and Jack begin to face up to the reality that the only way to save two of their children is to sell one.

Nonna
Director: Paco Sepúlveda
Set in Spain two weeks right after the alarm state began due to covid-19, Mercedes, an 80-year-old-woman, continues to live confined, alone in her home. One night, she has an accident slipping in the shower. Despite all her efforts to try and reach her family asking for help, they in turn will have a tough time trying to help her soon enough.

Rabies
Director: Alberto Díaz
Filomena ´s life is struck by poverty and the sad obscurity of hardship and torment. Terrible occurrences will mark her character during her childhood growing up in a Galician hamlet towards the end of the 19th century. Might she have the opportunity to change her fate?

Lose me not
Director: Desmond Hudson, Nina Zogg
Joey, a Nineteen year old teenager struggles with deep depression ever since the death of his mother. He wanders earth lost and without purpose. He's lost all grasp of reality and fights with the thought of just letting go. Joey stands at the edge of a steep cliff and shares his perspective of the world. How everything is so bad and how it's easier for him to just give up and take a step forward. Ultimately he comes to a crucial realisation, leading him away from his downfall.

Five Thousand Stars
Director: Paul Holbrook
Once renowned food critic, now homeless and battling alcoholism, campaigns to save her local soup kitchen, despite her complaint shutting it down.

The Labour
Director: Mohammad Sadegh Golchin Arefi
A husband hides his pregnant wife at home in order to be able to keep staying in his rental house.

Icebreaker
Director: David Eusebio
Four strangers struggle to figure out why they matched on Icebreaker, a friend-finding app.

2:15 – 4:45 p.m.
Comedy and Drama Program #2

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Last Days of the Lab
Director: María Alvarez
A mother and daughter sift through old memories as they prepare to permanently close down their family's photo lab.

Everything I Learned When My House Burned Down
Director: Joe Pickett
Comedian Jacy Catlin was living the simple life in his remote log cabin in rural Wisconsin, eking out a living as a comedy writer and self-producing numerous comedy shorts. One fateful February, on the coldest day of the year, a fire in his wood stove spread out of control, and the house and all of his family’s belongings were destroyed. After the smoke had cleared, he returned to his former home to shoot one last comedy film. From Joe Pickett (Chop and Steele, The Found Footage Festival) and Jacy Catlin (Clickhole, The Onion) comes a short film about the absurdity of great loss and finding laughter in life’s darkest moments. Shot entirely against a backdrop of the remains of Catlin’s actual burned-down home, Everything I Learning When My House Burned Down is filled with absurd dark humor and disturbingly fascinating imagery from start to finish.

Gunslinger
Director: Lincoln Reed
After receiving a lifeline to chase his dream and play college baseball, high school benchwarmer Colt Hale must decide to follow his heart or settle for less.

Dirty Tricks
Director: Rachel Taggart
An enthusiastic house cleaner's dream job quickly sours, when a mysterious saboteur creates a trail of destruction in her most important assignment yet.

Thirty Seven
Director: Sean McGurk
A former filmmaker brings his partner into his failed final film and life of ten years ago, before they met.

Broken Vessels
Director: Larry Ziegelman, Terry Ziegelman
While fighting a deadly blood cancer, Jane contends with the effects of “chemo-brain”, attempting to discern reality from fantasy, as she summons up her newfound strength to face-off with an abusive husband.

Trevor Hurt Someone
Director: Sam Pinnelas
Straight male best friends Sean and Trevor deliberate the events of the preceding night, when Trevor sexually assaulted Sean, at the bar where it happened.

Trapped
Director: Samuel Tony
Two thieves find themselves in an uncomfortable and hilarious position when they're forced to hide from the law.

A Ranger's Way
Director: Scott Danzig
An army ranger tries to record his suicide note while receiving video calls from the dead.

2:15– 3:15 p.m.
2024 - The State of Sound & Music Seminar

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Free - 2024 - The State of Sound & Music
Hosted: Scott W. Hallgren
Panel will include:
Post sound/composer: Rich Maurer
Music supervision: Abe Bradshaw
Entertainment law: Anna Kelberg-Kim
Up and coming talent: Imari Hill

2:30 – 4:45 p.m.
International Films Program #2

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Correction Fluid
Director: Danial Abroushan
Parsa is in love with his student's sister. He finds out that Sara's family is having lunch with someone who might be a serious rival for him.

The Dream I’ve Never Had
Director: Majid Halvaei
An old man needs someone to tell him stories to fall asleep. So he hires a girl as a roommate and they make a contract, as long as she tells him stories at nights, she can live in the extra room that he has in his apartment. Tonight, the girl is invited to her friend's birthday party and she is looking for an excuse to leave.

Nice Guy
Director: Seng Yang Haw
Joyce, a young woman traveling alone, finds herself lost in the middle of nowhere. Unable to rely on her GPS due to a lack of signal, she explores the surroundings and takes photos while waiting for her phone to connect.

Featherfoot
Director: Ryan Graeme Allen
When an ancient spirit is awoken in the woods, two innocent lives are changed forever.

Silver
Director: Hamid Saberi
Silver is a story of Mrs. Tavakoli, the inspector of a charity organization, who enters a house to check the condition of one of the applicants, the existence of a crisis makes it difficult for her to make a decision...

DONA
Director: Alexander Lemus Gadea
Carla decides to go to a fertility clinic to donate eggs. She will soon discover that the procedure is not what it seems to be and will have to decide if continue or leave it despite the consequences.

A Wait
Director: Clare Macdonald
14-year old Beau arrives at the lake for summer only to find her Grandma is delayed and she has to spend the next 24 hours fending for herself.

The Fishing Net
Director: Anna Palinkas
Budapest, 1953. A man was killed. Andras, a prestigious doctor and family man, is interrogated by the Secret Police. This is the era of spies. Freedom is relative. And being gay is a punishable offense. Andras has much to fear.

3:00 – 5:45 p.m.
Experimental and Drama Program

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Venus
Director: Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds
A young artist unravels the beautiful facade that painted over her lover's abuse.

Weeding Silent Gardens
Director: Cameron James Henderson
After the ambiguous disappearance of his mother, a young man struggles to find peace on the farm he has inherited where the weeds seem to never stop growing.

Out of The Lines
Director: Sajjad Aslani
Leaves the house in a traditional neighborhood in Tehran...

Shadow
Director: Alyssa Marie Grys
An experiment with the idea of growing up, but not in the traditional sense.

Ashen Realities
Director: Daryl Ferrara
Ashen Realities is a contemplative and visually captivating cinematic reverie that invites audiences to reflect on the inherent tensions between dreams and reality. It offers a thought-provoking narrative that examines the complexities of yearning for change, the allure of escapism, and the profound resilience found within the human spirit.

Doorway
Director: Siddharth Gautam
Within the fractures of family bonds, a doorway materializes, propelling Stephen through a life-altering odyssey that reshapes his existence and weaves an indelible tapestry of change for his loved ones.

This Is Not a Film
Director: Mahdi Hassanieh
Two hearing impaired individuals are talking in a café. The world around them is kinder in the silence of judgments.

Incantations
Director: Amanda Besl
A childhood spent in the forest. Spells passed down by fragile birds. This experimental work shifts from the familiar to the sublime within this landscape. Sound and imagery flutter in and out of the periphery suggesting the simultaneous quality of this space separated only by time. This film is dedicated to my parents and was filmed in their woods.

The Writer
Director: Aryan Eshtehardi
A cigarette burns, coffee gets cold, the writer picks up the pen but there is no word…

Stop it
Director: Ali Delgoshaei
Deniz falls in the middle of room and wakes up with a headache. Surprised, she looks around and can't find her mobile phone...

Stranger
Director: Isabella Vizetta
A man pleads for help as the memories of his former partner start to fade horrifically.

Quatrain
Director: Ben Leake
A short film collection of four Shakespeare sonnet adaptations exploring the rich variety of his subject matter- the frustration of creative block, the self-disgust beneath self-obsession, the absurdity of denial, and our struggle to reckon with the unrelenting passage of time.

Wider Than The Sky
Director: Philip Taylor
Jenny's father has been diagnosed with Cancer. To cope, this deeply creative child makes scenes inside shoe boxes into which she escapes. One day a chance encounter with a seemingly ordinary cafe owner provides the catalyst for a truly magical happening.

SOUND MIRAGE
Director: Georga Morgan-Fleming, Jose Luis Herrera
Mila and Frank return home from a weekend of hiking in the San Bernardino desert, when suddenly, Mila disappears. Alone and unable to find her in the deserted Santa Monica alleyways surrounding their apartment, Frank becomes increasingly afflicted by an unknown force that seems to be keeping the lovers apart.

Final Demand
Director: WR Saunders
Grace Ridhi turns up to Mr Freeman's house to demand he pay for all the overdue bills he owes the council. Mr Freeman prefers a more spiritual approach to such things.

Bodily Renaissance
Director: Claudia Lee
An experimental poem-short exploring one woman’s journey with body image and dysmorphia. The protagonist's dark struggle with self-loathing from societal pressures transforms, showcasing the power of rejecting external expectations in place of radical self-acceptance, through the lens of Renaissance women’s forms.

4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Horror and Local Films

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Beast of Toil
Director: Gregory Elek
A man is forced into an unfortunate pact with a fell omen living in his house.

Swipe Right
Director: Grace Favarro
A horror comedy, Swipe Right warns of the common pitfalls that come with online dating: liars, cheaters,...and sometimes even murder.

Signature Required.
Director: Tyler Nelson Thomas
A delivery man gets lured into the house of an eccentric customer.

Late Night Snack
Director: Simone Massis
When an obsession with control finally consumes every part of their life, a questionable late night snack brings on a spiral of delirium that may also become their liberation.

The Sauce
Director: Matt Hribar
A bottle of insatiable sauce begins to drive a man insane.

Dirty Hands
Director: Scott E Brosius
An inmate looking for a fresh start by escaping prison meets an unlikely friend but he still has to pay for his crimes.

Real Maple Syrup
Director: Sage O'Bryant
A group of old high school friends reunite for a road trip into wine country. But a harmless weekend takes a dark turn when they make an unexpected stop at a quaint farm.

The Dollcatcher
Director: Jamey Hastings
A woman's attempt to catch a few hours of peace and solitude in the woods is interrupted in the night by a mysterious girl.

5:15– 7:45 p.m.
Action/Thriller and Drama Program

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DARK
Director: Bryson Schultz
Rick is the prime suspect in an unusual criminal case, but the detectives aren’t his problem. It’s knowing the man in black is still out there looking for him.

KIN
Director: James Waterhouse
In a scorched lawless future, a mother with a baby attempts to steal supplies from a dangerous gang of survivors. She’s soon exposed and must fight her way out and escape to safety.

NAP
Director: Javier Chavanel
Four people are about to undergo a dangerous experiment. The rules are simple: you will have to sleep if you want to live.

Terminal
Director: Gianni Della Vella
In the mundane world of data entry, a hapless user takes on a mysterious computer program that promises to automate his menial tasks. With each keystroke, the program gains an insidious control, manipulating reality and blurring the boundaries between the virtual and physical realms. As things spiral into chaos, the user becomes locked in a desperate struggle to maintain control over the sinister program that threatens his very existence.

The 31st Amendment
Director: Marc Danbury
The US government is tackling the growing ageing population with extreme results. 150 citizens aged 55+ in a kill zone - fight until only one remains. This story is set in the near future in America. The elected government resolves the issue of the country’s aging population through an act which makes genocide seem like an acceptable and humane solution. Janelle is selected to take part in a tournament to the death; where the blood is on the hands of the participants as they struggle to be the sole survivor. Janelle is not prepared to accept her fate. The movie is about how one person can make a difference.

Veiðar
Director: Johannes Hülsemann
Overseeing an industrial area in West-Germany, we find a creepy loner, spouting his disturbingly ominous inner thoughts. Events go awry when Sonya, a suspended Police Detective, shows up. Luckily for Sonya, backup arrives just in time... or so it appears.

Sticky Fingers
Director: Nicolai Joseph
Facing debts and violent consequences with a local mob enforcer, two lowlife criminal brothers scheme with their partners to steal an expensive watch. But after their plan is shot to hell, the brothers find a surprise waiting for them in their escape.

Print Out
Director: Shannon Nease, Lon Nease
Chloe won't stop until she uncovers the dark secrets behind a photo some schmuck printed on her laserjet.

CYCLES
Director: Will Darbyshire
When a dinner with the new neighbors goes awry, an antisocial and severely codependent couple reignite the spark in their relationship by covering their tracks.

5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Comedy and Drama Program #3

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No Way Around It
Director: Seagan Ngai
After years of habitual girlfriend ghosting, Eddie pays the price when he runs into his ex. His best friend Grace tries her best to get him out of this sticky situation that ends up going sideways fast.

PRIVACY
Director: Hosein Babaeian
A young widow whose two children were exhausted from thirst is looking for water.

Mostafa
Director: Alireza Teimori
Mostafa, an Afghan man, lives in Iran with his family. This family does not have an identity card and social and civil identity. Iran does not recognize them. Problems, pressures of racial and ethnic discrimination put so much pressure on Mostafa and his family that he is forced to make a crucial and dangerous decision.

Venomous
Director: Gholam Reza Mola Ahmadi
A nomadic father and son disagree about the toxicity of a thorny flower which according to the father would kill the sheep.

Soraya
Director: Maryam Rahimi
Fearing family prejudices, Soraya an Iranian woman decides to immigrate illegally by smugglers.

Peter the Grave
Director: Matthieu Moerlen
Matthias & Victoria wander through the Saint-Ouen Cemetery in search of a grave. It may be something else that this young couple will find at the end of this cold winter Sunday.

Benched
Director: Nicholas Barton-Wines
Two people meet at a bench on the coast during an unspoken formal event. Across a sparse conversation, a turbulent fraught relationship is revealed.

Gnashing in Gehenna
Director: Christopher McKinney
Det. Moe Truxton must find a murderer in the city of Gehenna. As case files are piling up, Moe is frequently visited by a mysterious woman. Moe doesn't know who she is or where she comes from. Moe must solve the case and the mystery of the city in order to save his soul.

7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Filmmaker Mixer

March 3, 2024

11:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Local Filmmaker's Matinee

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Ractors
Director: Shankar Sudhakaran, Eva Nel Brettrager
David’s obsession with his ex-girlfriend leads to an emotional showdown at their favorite restaurant that redefines the idea of ‘dinner theater.’

FIRST JOB
Director: Wayne A. Wong
A bright teenager is forced to make a choice between his best friends and his duty to family and traditions when his father requires him to join the family business. Motivated by obligation and his own ambition, he joins his father for his first job, a job unlike any other.

Jean Claude the Gumming Zombie
Director: Johnny K Wu
When a toothless Frenchman finds himself the latest victim of a zombie plague, he is befriended by an overly-wholesome family that belongs more in a 1950s sitcom than the world of today.

The Wood
Director: Spencer Polando
Two sisters lost in the forest, fall into the hands of a monster manifested by The Wood.

Lifted
Director: Timothy James Figueira
A young girl, who struggles with confidence, has an unusual friendship with an older woman. Their connection presents an opportunity for our unlikely hero to gain courage she never imagined.

Making It
Director: Mikhail Tot
A bright eye actor moves to a big city to become a star.

Exhibit
Director: Thomas Wesley Tarver
1 minute short film project. Model gallery created in Blender. Actor added using green screen.

Handled
Director: Lee Scheff
A man must overcome the effects that cold weather conditions may have on cheap, plastic car-door handles in order to enter his vehicle without injury and carry on with the business of the day.

At Sea
Director: Zach Moshe
When an abusive husband and his wife get into a heated argument about their wedding anniversary she considers disappearing, thinking no one would notice. The next day, they go to the Beach, where he has a heart attack. She walks away from him and eventually into the water, where she contemplates her next move.

11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Environmental Films

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Lunatic
Director: Robin Noorda
The film tackles urgent earthly issues, as seen by a lonely astronaut, called Antonio, who was left behind on the moon after his coming out.

Conserving Mountains
Director: Kaitlyn Leach
An educational short documentary discussing some of the wildlife conservation efforts happening around the state of West Virginia. Throughout the film you will listen to a local DNR Assistant Chief, Wildlife Biologist, and Park Rangers talk about West Virginia's varying wildlife. The specialists will further talk about the local wildlife's importance to our ecosystems, and the conservation projects they work on to help ensure their protection and educate the public about them.

Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops
Director: Susan Gray
Subtitled in 32 languages and narrated by Richard Gere, Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops is a series of five short films, featuring twelve leading climate scientists, that explores how human-caused emissions are triggering nature’s own warming loops.

Tales of Jan Mayen
Director: Hugo Pettit
A team sails to the remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen to recreate the 1921 British expedition to summit the world’s northernmost volcano, Mount Beerenberg. They conduct marine science, alongside discovering how climate change is affecting the volcano’s glaciers today.

small selkie
Director: Matilda Harding-Kemp
small selkie follows Skye, a young girl with a vivid imagination who yearns to become a mermaid. Against the backdrop of the loss of her mother, Skye finds solace by the sea.

Salt Sellers
Director: Maryam Samadi
A pregnant woman who lives and sells salt with her husband by Lake Urmia; is facing the risk of miscarriage because of the impact of salt storms caused by climate change and human factors. They plan to move to the city after selling their property, and until then, the woman tries to protect her fetus from the dangers of the environment.

Alvin and the Existential Crisis
Director: Michelle David
Weary of his daily routine, Alvin travels to the great outdoors to discover his significance. He is reborn in the waters of the Great Lakes and soothed by the nature around him, which is an especially impressive adventure for a small dog.

Just Beneath The Surface
Director: Jimmy John Thaiday
On a fishing trip, a man struggles with a strange and menacing ocean. Will he fight against nature's forces, or submit to its power.

12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Comedy & Drama Program #1

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Eternal Hourglass
Director: Joanna Vymeris
An elderly woman recollects and reconnects with her past as her memories fade back to her in the form of a dance; a dream, a nightmare.

Natural Causes
Director: Ryan Williams
When downtrodden carer Carl finds his cantankerous bed-ridden Uncle Derek dead, he’s finally free! He announces the death via a text but when Derek turns out to be playing another practical joke and in fact alive, and family arrive to pay their “respects”, Carl wrestles with whether to reveal the truth or…to make Derek dead again.

The Little Death
Director: Andrew Cardozo
Found beaten and heartsick outside of a Virginian motel, Kurt, 19, is taken in by a colorful group of sex workers and becomes captivated by a young prostitute named Rose.

Good Girl
Director: Jenny Kleiman
After ending a six year relationship, a well-behaved, Jewish, OBGYN decides to turn her brain off and her body on by exploring BDSM; instances of which are popping up in the most unusual places.

Displaced
Director: Rob Hart
Asylum seekers taking on illegal work finds themselves in a difficult situation when one is sexually assaulted by their boss. Facing deportation or their attacker walking free, one of them decides to take matters into her own hands.

The Gray, The Black
Director: Ashkan Sepehr
The film The Gray, The Black is story of two young cafe owners named Behnam and Shayan who run a cafeteria together. Behnam wants to be a writer and Shayan is thinking of booming the cafe so that he can support his family, living in a small town, with income of the cafe. Behnam is not a successful writer and his ideas are repetitious. In order to grasp fresh ideas to write better stories, he started unauthorized eavesdropping conversations of customers in café. A wrong action that brings dire consequences for him and his partner.

The Naming of the Things
Director: Gadi Rubin
A product of Jewish day schools and way too much education, Ike finds himself adrift after the sudden death of his wife. As Ike navigates his wife’s shiva, he struggles to find meaning in the world around him, the Jew inside him, and the community trying to feed him bagels. Can religion help right our world after it has been upended by death?

I See Her
Director: SUKKI
"Everyone can do something to challenge the abuse of women and girls." A woman trapped in a forced marriage experiences an alternate future in which a neighbor helps her out of her situation, only to realize none of it will exist without the awareness and understanding of strangers, and access to the resources she'll need to be free.

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
International Films Program

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Mixed
Director: Mina Sadat Hosseini
A female teacher, who is sexually harassed on a street in the Islamic Republic of IRAN. She must choose between silence and protest...

Body Seller
Director: Alireza Shakeri
Ahmed, who is in his wedding ceremony, follows the issue of who tattooed his wife.

Gray House
Director: Bahram Afshari
In a night party, old friends are together. A shallow joke from the host creates tension. This incident is small and superficial at first, but over time, it turns into a big violence and creates a disaster.

You Think Although You Are Not
Director: Salaheddin Noori
Navid and Forough are a happy couple who, despite the events that caused them to separate, experience an unusual way to stay together.

Hope
Director: Volkan G?RG?N
They were taken from their homeland and forced to migrate! The geography was different, the religion was different, the nation was different, but their fate was the same. The hope of refugee women from three different countries met in one frame their hope was hidden in the photo of their remaining home. The photo has changed, but the frame hasn't changed at all.

Goodbye fish
Director: Anice Mateu
Martina tries to convince her sister Candela to flush their fishes down the toilet together. After a series of unexpected events, including the apparent resurrection of a fish, Martina and Candela face a dilemma. In the end, their father flushes the toilet and everything goes back to normal.

Echo
Director: Meritxell A. Valls
During a basketball game, Maya, a teenager with problems at home, hits her head and stops hearing the sound. At that moment, she realizes that her silence gives her the opportunity to change her reality.

Out
Director: Zoë Morgan Chiswick
When Tasha starts getting ready for an afternoon at the pub with her friends, she’s unaware of the obstacles lingering in the shadows. When these demons start to creep up on her, how long can she hold it together.

Ghoul
Director: Magnus Lyche
A young boy feeds his imagination of an unpleasant ghoul with the unhappy home life that traps him and his mother. When life is clearly imitating art the pair seek solace in each other, and patch up the physical and emotional damage to carry on.

Path to Ecstasy
Director: Abdullah Khan
A lost teen is abandoned by his alcoholic stepfather, and spurred on a desperate search for connection within the same group he also wishes to escape from.

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
The History of Cleveland In The Movies! Seminar

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Free - The History of Cleveland In The Movies!
Hosted: Mike Wendt, Greater Cleveland Film Commission
From the early days of the film industry of Thomas Edison to A Christmas Story to The Avengers to White Noise, Cleveland has a long storied past with the film industry. Join Greater Cleveland Film Commission Production Coordinator Mike Wendt as he discusses the history of Cleveland and its relationship with the movies!

3:45 p.m - 6:15 p.m.
Comedy and Drama Program #2

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Seasalter Road
Director: Will Kenning
Following the sudden death of their mother a pair of estranged siblings must revisit their family home and fractured relationship.

A Box of Chocolates
Director: Cris Thorne
Ron has the opportunity to land a role on the next big streaming series! He just has to nail the audition. To get into character, Ron makes a reckless decision and loses a piece of himself he never thought he'd lose...

Superstar
Director: Talha Hussaini, Jacob Heimlich
After a prolonged hiatus from the public eye following a tragic car accident, Frankie, a rising actress, prepares to give her first TV interview while trying to deal with her deteriorating, hallucinogenic psychosis.

Rocks!
Director: Elle Birdsell
Marie and Val's relaxed day takes an unusual turn when they spontaneously decide to find and name rocks.

There's Always Time To Say It
Director: Jen Kuhn
A man calls the same people every day to say goodbye.

Gooseneck
Director: Jamie Shelton
Dennis travels to the Isle of Man TT to reconnect with his brother Jason. The brothers engage with the roaring spectacle and are increasingly unable to runway from the past. Dennis must confront his grief but not without succumbing to Jason’s resentment.

PENTACLUB [The Club of Five]
Director: Roberto Strazzarino
The year is 1968. Five teenage boys dream of running a movie theater in which they will not show pro-war films. One summer afternoon Giò, Delfo, Max, Ricky and Paolo learn to become trusted friends, indispensable to one another. A coming-of-age, adventure film about friendship, one with small but large rebellious acts that signal the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. A group of friends, who met in the 1960s, was essential to the film’s production. Therefore, Pentaclub is a film about friendship, both on the screen and behind the scenes.

Insufferable
Director: Stig Wemyss
Losing a loved one after 60 years of marriage is never easy and for Terry Carmichael, letting go is not an option. After Dulcie’s death, he disappears into his man-cave and proceeds to embark on the ancient process of mummifying his dead wife’s body in an attempt to immortalize her forever. When Terry’s stoner grandson Brad discovers what the old man is up to, he knows they must keep it a secret or risk the full wrath of the law. Mummy’s the word. They lock the mummified body in the man-cave, with a view to dispose of it porperly in the morning. However, during the night, the shed is broken into and Grandma is stolen. Mummy-nappers! The two men embark on a crusade to unearth the thieves, retrieve Nana’s body and somehow find a way to reconcile the pain of losing a lifetime of love. Death is a part of life…you never know when it might sneak up on you.

4:00 p.m – 6:30 p.m.
Documentary

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The Vanishing Strings of the Andes
Director: Sam Watkins
High in the Andes mountains, an age-old generational craft is on the verge of extinction; this is the story of Ecuador’s forgotten guitar road.

Just Laugh
Director: Kemp Brinson
A small-town community theater attempts a fiendishly difficult and dangerous production. The mayhem bares the heart of a community and speaks to the importance of laughter and escape.

Di Sarno- The story of Emilio's Ballato
Director: Johannes Kroemer, Lou Carvell
If you walk down Manhattan’s Houston street, you probably won’t notice this restaurant- unless you wonder what all these people are standing in line for. It’s a place that’s unpretentious, yet a celebrity hangout. It’s famous, yet most people have never heard about it. It’s an Instagram spot, yet the owner doesn’t have a mobile phone. Emilio learned to read from recipe books and to cook from his mother. His influence is everywhere- from the food to the smallest details in the restaurant. The connection to Southern Italy runs deep. Emilio was born in the San Marzano area, home of the famous tomatoes. Gioacchino, his brother-in-law still grows them there for him. The passion this family pours into the restaurant is what makes it magical. This is what New York is about.

Gift of the Artist
Director: Ron Chapman
Through a dreamy visual narrative, Gift of the Artist moves artfully through the work, thoughts and impressions of a diverse group of sculptors who explore their craft at the extraordinary Al Green Sculpture Studio in Toronto, founded by entrepreneur, philanthropist and sculptor Al Green in 2000, and maintained as a gift. The film explores the artists' feelings, impressions and motivation for their work, taking us through their process as they share life stories and appreciation for this unique and special inclusive place, and the exceptional man that brought it to life. The film's contemplative beauty is enhanced by a compelling original score, as Gift of the Artist invites you to immerse yourself in this transformative world.

Street Photographer
Director: Zoum Domínguez Blanco
This documentary highlights the photographic journey of Juancho Domínguez, who due to different circumstances discovers, at the age of 70, photography as a means of expression and that little by little leads him to the rebirth of his own being, and to the reinvention of his artistic path.

The Beast with a Thousand Faces
Director: Edgar Barrera
Edgar, a thirty-something documentary filmmaker diagnosed with OCD, films his routine as he recounts his past and present dealing with this disorder. He has always been supported by the people in his close circle. However, he has never met someone with the same condition, someone who also goes through this mental seesaw. We will meet a young magician and the mother of a boy with OCD, all touched by the same condition and its various faces. Edgar will seek answers to questions that constantly haunt his mind, such as: How on earth have they been able to understand their minds? How have they overcome the various obstacles? And if they have overcome them at all.

Why
Director: Natxo Leuza
Why this war? why are they shooting at us? why are they destroying everything? why am I afraid? why do they want to kill us? why such hatred? Why do they murder our children? Why do they humiliate us? Why do they take everything from us? Why do I have to run away? Why has someone decided to erase everything.

4:15 – 6:45 p.m.
Best of the Fest

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Enjoy an encore presentation of our award winning films followed by a Q&A with the judges of the 2024 Short. Sweet. Film Fest.

2:15 – 10:00 p.m.
Short. Sweet. Film Competition

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Program 1 - 2:15 - 4:15 p.m.
Program 2 - 4:45 - 6:45 p.m.
Program 3 - 7:15 - 9:15 p.m.
Awards - 9:30 - 10:00 p.m.

Date: February 28 - March 3, 2024

Location:

Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square 6
13116 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44101

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